**Ukraine Launches Raid into Russia, State of Emergency Declared**
**State of Emergency Declared in Kursk Region Amid Ukrainian Raid**
A state of emergency has been declared in Russia's Kursk region as a rare cross-border attack by Ukrainian troops continued on Wednesday. Acting regional governor Alexei Smirnov stated the measure was necessary "to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region." According to Russian officials, at least five civilians have been killed and 31 wounded, including six children, since the incursion began. Ukraine has not officially commented, and the extent of the incursion remains unclear.
**Why Did Ukraine Launch a Cross-Border Attack on Russia?**
On Tuesday morning, up to 1,000 Ukrainian troops, along with 11 tanks and more than 20 armored combat vehicles, entered Russia near the town of Sudzha, according to Moscow. Fighting reportedly occurred in several villages throughout the day, prompting local authorities to urge residents to limit their movements and cancel all public events.
Numerous air alerts were issued in Kursk, and footage verified by the BBC showed fighter jets flying low over the region with smoke rising from the ground. Acting regional governor Alexei Smirnov stated that thousands of people were evacuated from border areas, and doctors were being brought in from other cities to handle the situation.
**Rare Ukrainian Incursion into Russian Territory Amid Strategic Objectives**
Since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory have been exceedingly rare. On Wednesday evening, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko reported that the Ukrainian army had seized control of the Sudzha gas hub—a critical facility for the transit of natural gas from Russia to the EU via Ukraine, which has continued despite the ongoing conflict.
This hub serves as the sole entry point for Russian gas into the EU. While the BBC has not independently verified Honcharenko's claim, his statement marks the first official confirmation of a Ukrainian incursion into Russian territory. On Facebook, Honcharenko commented that the purpose behind the incursion was unclear, but emphasized its potential to demonstrate to Europeans and Americans that Russia can and should be confronted.
In an interview with BBC Newshour, Honcharenko stressed the military objective of seizing the initiative and showed the world that fear of escalation or Putin's reaction should not hinder action. He noted that despite this unprecedented incursion into internationally recognized Russian territory since World War II, there had been no nuclear response from Putin.
Honcharenko anticipated that the incursion would prompt Russia to redeploy troops to the region, potentially reducing its capacity for attacks in eastern Ukraine. A White House spokesperson remarked that the US was unaware of the attack beforehand and intended to engage with the Ukrainian military to clarify their objectives.
**'Heavy' Fighting in Sudzha Amid Accusations and Uncertainty**
During a televised meeting with government officials on Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of launching a "major provocation" and "firing indiscriminately" at civilian buildings and residences. Russia's Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov claimed that the Ukrainian "advance" into the Kursk region had been halted, with Russian forces "continuing to destroy the adversary in areas directly adjacent to the Russian-Ukrainian border." Gerasimov reported that Ukrainian forces aimed to capture the area around the town of Sudzha and that Russia had already killed 100 Ukrainian soldiers and injured 215.
However, popular pro-war Telegram channels suggested that the situation on the ground was more dire than the Kremlin admitted. Blogger Yuri Kotenok described the battles in Sudzha and nearby Korenevo as "heavy," while the Rybar channel indicated that the situation around Sudzha was "continuing to deteriorate" with Ukrainian forces advancing towards the town. The BBC has not been able to verify these claims.
In response to the conflict, the Russian National Guard has increased security at the Kursk nuclear power plant, located about 70km (43 miles) northeast of Sudzha. Additionally, in the neighboring Belgorod region, Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov issued missile attack warnings throughout Tuesday, reporting that several people had been injured in Ukrainian air attacks.
**Ukraine Orders Evacuation Near Kursk Border Amid Preventative Attack**
On Wednesday, Volodymyr Artyukh, head of the Ukrainian Sumy region, ordered the evacuation of areas bordering Kursk. Ukrainian military colonel Vladislav Seleznyov described the attack as "preventative," citing the continued gathering of an estimated 75,000 Russian troops close to the border.
Following a major cross-border incursion by Russia into the northeastern Kharkiv region in May, there were concerns that Moscow might attempt a similar move into the Sumy region further north. However, Ukraine's apparent capture of several settlements and highways in the opposite direction may have thwarted these ambitions for now.
Despite this, some military analysts are questioning the wisdom of such cross-border raids, given that Ukrainian forces are already overstretched and outmanned. This is not the first incursion into Russia by fighters based in Ukraine; anti-Kremlin Russian groups launched raids last year, which were repelled. These forces crossed into the Belgorod and Kursk regions again in March, engaging in clashes with Russian security forces.
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